Improvement in dial attachments for stem-winding watches



C. P. CORLISS. Dial Attachment for Stem-Winding Watches.

Patented Dec.9,187.9.

FGI.

WWNE-:SSE'S:

d@ t 25M,

NJETERS, PHoTuLlTHoGRAPHER, WASHINGYON` D C.

CHARLES P. CORLISS, OF ELGIN, I

PATENT FFICE.

IILINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELGIN NATIONAL VATCH COMPANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN DIAL ATTACHMENTS FOR STEM-WINDING WATCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 222,460, dated December 9, 1879; application tiled October To all whom t may concern:

Be it'known that I, CHARLES P. CORLISS, of Elgin, in the county of Kane and State ot' Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Vatch-Movements, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to those stem-windingwatch movements that are intended to be equally adapted to open-faced and hunting t cases, and are now more or less well known to K r-fhe trade as interchangeable watch-movements; and itis applicable only to those movements in which there is no fourth-statt' secondhand, though there may be a center or sweep second-hand.

In the attempts which have heretofore been made to produce in a stem-winding-watch movement the power or quality of interchangeability, the mechanism for winding the watch has usually been so constructed that the winding square or socket for the samehas been movable and adapted to fit and work equally well whether it be placed at XII of the dial, as in open-faced cases, or at III, as in hunting-cases. While this method of arriving at the desired result is good and serviceable, it isA yet, in some cases, objectionable, beca-use it involves some considerable addition to the first cost ot' the movement, and also limits to some extent the free use ofthe space within the movement usually devoted 'to the planting of the train, and other purposes not connected with the i11- terchan ging mechanism.

The object of my invention is to produce a stem-winding-watch movement which shall be equally and perfectly adapted for usein either a hunting or an open-faced case, and which at the same time shall not unduly interfere with or limit the free use of the space in the movement usually devoted to the train and other parts of the movement not directly concerned in, or connected with, the mechanism by which the interchangeability of the movement is produced, and in which such mechanism shall be at once cheap, simple, durable, and effective.

My invention consists in the combination, in a stem-winding-wateh movement having no fourth-statt' second-hand, of a dial and a pillar or bottom plate, so fitted to cach other and provided with stops and fastening devices that 15, 1ero.

the dial maybe put on and secured to the plate in either one ot' two positions namely. with the XlIot the dial at the winding square or socket, or with the III ofthe dial in a like position, thereby fitting the n'lovementt'or use in either a hunting or an open-faced case, as may be desired.

My invention also consists in a stem-winding-watch movement having no fourth-staff second-hand, ot' the combination of a dia-l secured to the bottom plate of the movement by a snap-ring on the dial springing over and embracing a shoulder on the plate, so that each and every dial may be used with eitherits XII or its III at the winding square or socket, as may be'desired.

My invention consists also of the combination, in a stentwinding-watch movenient having no fourth-statt' second-hand, of a snapring on the dial, which springs over and embraces a shoulder on the bottom plate of the movement, and suitable stops on the said ring or dial and on the said plate, which stops act together to secure the dial in position with either its XII or its III at the winding square or socket, as may be desired.

My invention consists, further, in the combination, in a stem-windingwatch movement having no fourth-statt' second-hand, of a center or sweep second-hand, and a dial which may be put on and secured in position with either its XII or its III at the winding square or socket, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a face view ot the movement as arranged for an o1)en-faced\vatcl1. Fig. II is an edge view of the same movement, but with the dial changed in position to tit the movement for a hunting-case. Fig. III is a face view of Fig. II.

A is the dial, with the band or snap-ring b around its periphery. B is the bottom plate of the movement; C, the barrel-bridge, and E the cock in which the upper end of the center second-statt' F is pivoted. G is the center second-hand 5 H, the minute-hand, and I the hour-hand. J is the winding-square, and K is the pull-ont lever or slide by which the hands are put in gear with the winding-train for setting them. Two notches or openings in the snap-rin g b are shown at c and d.

In Fig. I the dial A has its XII placed at the wimling-squareJand the pull-out lever or slide K in the notch c, whereby the movement is perfectly fitted for use in an open-faced case, while in Figs. II and III the same dial A is put on with its III at the'wilding-square J and the pull-out lever or slide K in the notch d, thus making the movement equally well fitted for use in a huntingcase.

In stem-windin g watches in which there is no pull-out lever or slide K, the case-pin may be utilized as a stop to fix the position of the dial with either the XII or the III at the windin g-square, two notches being made in the snap-ring b at the proper positions for that purpose; or there may be one or more special notches, pins, or stops put in or on the bottom plate, B, and corresponding notches, pins, or stops in or on the dial or the snap-ring for the same purpose; or, it' preferred, the friction between the snap-ring b and the pillarplate may in some cases be depended on to keep the dial from turning; but where the pull-out lever or slide forms part of the mechanism, by which the position of the dial is fixed with its XII or III at the whirling-square, the expense of any different or additional stop is avoided and something saved in the cost of the movement.

It is obvious that, instead of the snap-ringI b, with its notches or stops to hold the dial on and keep it from turning, the dial may be furnished with two or more feet, which fit into holes in the bottom plate of the movement, and are pinned or otherwise fastened in, in the usual way. In this case two sets of holes would be provided,'the one set so placed as to fasten the dial on with theXII at the winding square 0r socket, and the other so as to fasten the dial with the III in a similar position; but while these and many other modifications of my invention may be made by those skilledin the art of watch-making to adapt it more perfectly for use under the varyin g conditions found in practice, yet the essential nature o t' the invention will not thereby be changed so long as a dial is used which is so made and fit-ted to the bottom or pillar plate of a move ment that one and the same dial may be secured to the plate with the XII at the winding-square, and also may be so secured with the III at the winding-square, whereby the movement may be used in either an open-faced or a hunting ease, substantiallyin the manner and by the means above set forth.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim l. In a stem-wimling-watch movementhaving no fourthlstaii second-hand, the con'ibination of a dial and a pillar-plate or bottom plate, so fitted to each other, and provided with stops and fastenings that the dial maybe put on and secured to the plate with either its XII or its III at the wiiuling-square, as may be desired, whereby one and the same movementis fitted for both a hunting and an open-faced case, and may be used with either, substantially as and for the purpose hereinabove set forth.

2. In combination in a stem-winding-watchmovement having no fourth-staff second-hand, the dial A, having a snap-ring, l), which fits on or over a shoulder or corner on the plate ll, and thus secures the dial to the plate, both when the XII is at the winding-square J, and also when the III is in that position, whereby the movement may be used in either a hunting or an open-'faced case, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a stemlwinding-watch movement having no fourtlrstaff second-hand, the combination, with the plate B and the dial A, having a snag-ring, Z), which fits on or over a shouI- der or corner on the plate I3, of stops for locking the said dial with its XII at the winding square or socket, and also for locking its III in the same position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

I. In a stem-wiltiling-watch n'lovement having` no fourth-stati" second-hand, the combination, with a dial, which may be put on and secured in position with either its XII or its III at the winding square or socket, of a eenter or sweep second-hand, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES I. C() BLISS.

Witnesses:

WM. (1. Turnus, W. ll. GLOUDMAN. 

